The implications of the book of Acts 8:1-8 for the Nigerian Church

Abstract

During the early centuries CE of the Church, it was characterized by trials, contempt of the faithful and persecutions. Christians who were unwilling to compromise their faith were martyred in the process in the most terrible ways. The rationale behind this study is to focus on Christian persecution, especially beginning from the biblical context; in order to examine what Christian persecution is all about and what it is not. This research thus briefly examines the issue of persecution in the early Church with specific attention to Acts 8:1-8. An exegetical and descriptive methodology is explored in this research. The contemporary state of Nigeria is reflected the early church. This research not only discusses the issue of persecution in the early church, but also analyzes and places it side by side with such happenings in the nation of Nigeria today. In view of this, the contemporary Christians in Nigeria do and may in future also benefit a great deal from the early Church’s experience.